Philippians 1:11. Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.
Oh Friends, the ole fella’s feeling lousy this morning, both mentally and physically tired. I had a rough and busy day yesterday and my sleep pattern was thrown totally out of whack. And many of you know how it feels when you don’t get proper sleep. Anyway, no use moaning, I still have to write the Bit, sickness and tiredness must not stop it from going out. (smile) But as always, more so than most days, I cried out for divine help and guidance. And I know that I will receive it, because the Lord doesn’t want me writing nonsense with His name attached to it. In fact, I’ve already begun receiving that divine guidance, for my mind is feeling more alert now, and I am putting pen to paper. I found a Bit before I began, so it was just a matter of getting my mind around it. Oh Friends, with all that divine stuff happening, how can I ever doubt the mercy and LOVING-kindness of our God eh? Not on your life! Those people who doubt and mock are fools! That’s all I can say. If they only gave Jesus a reasonable chance to come into their lives, they’d be most surprised at how wonderfully He works in them. The problem though is that too many of us want the easy life, and Jesus NEVER promised that. He promised the GOOD LIFE; one that would be filled with trials and tribulations, but He would see us victoriously through them all. And my fellow believers, at this stage of my life, I can attest to the truth of all that stuff, because as I just remembered, this month of March 2013 will begin the seventh year, yes mih breddren, the 7th year that I’m writing this Scrip-Bit. Oh how the time has flown! And believe me, I could not have done it, as you can see from above, without divine help and guidance. I’m chuckling here now, remembering how I chuckled seven years ago when the Lord proposed the idea and I told Him I couldn’t do it due to my lack of proper scriptural knowledge. But here I am now, seven years later, a veritable fount of wisdom and knowledge, compared to what I was back then. (smile) That’s simply because it’s impossible to walk consistently with Jesus and not gain some real knowledge and true insight into this life. As Sister Joyce, Joyce Meyer, likes to say; ‘I’m not where I want to be. But thank God, I’m not where I was!’ Yes my fellow believers, walking with Jesus is indeed a journey, and oftimes a long and arduous one. But you can bet your bottom dollar that the journey will be most interesting and knowledgeable, for who better is there to walk and associate with than the One who sacrificed His sinless life for you, two thousand years ago? As he said back then: ‘Greater LOVE hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.’ (John 15:13) And He indeed laid down His life for us, which means we are truly His friends, especially if we consider His next statement. ‘Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.’ (John 15:14) Then later he goes on to declare: ‘Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained (appointed) you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you. These things I command you, that ye LOVE one another.’ (John 15:16-17) So you see my brethren, from the very beginning, Jesus has been the one seeking a relationship with us, and attempting to make us His friend. And if we’re smart we’ll accept His friendship with wide open arms, because it’s the best thing this world has going for it. Oh Friends, it’s such a simple, but poignant message: I needed disciples to spread My Word, and I chose you. I consider you my friends, so I’ll die for you. Now all I ask is that you do as I say, namely go out and spread My Word and LOVE each other. And to top that all up, anything you ask the Father in My Name, He’ll gladly give you. Why is that proving so hard for us to do eh, especially when there’s no other relationship in this whole wide world that can even come close to it? I guess too many of us refuse Jesus’ friendship because we’re afraid of what it will mean to our sinful lives; lives filled with darkness and great desire for the mostly useless things of the world, which are fraught with problems and never last. On the other hand, we can get all the necessary things for living a full and rich life walking in close tandem with Jesus. And the beauty of it is, when you receive worldly things through Jesus, they last. You don’t have to fret and worry that you’ll lose your job, your house, your family, as you would if you’d sold your soul to Beelzebub to get them. Ah mih people, yuh see how things can change in the twinkling of an eye? From feeling lousy and miserable, not knowing what to write, with the gracious help of Jesus, I’ve gotten over most of that negative feeling and written more than I ever imagined possible back then. Let’s just hope it makes sense. (smile) In any case, I know that you fellow believers, imbued with wisdom from above, are all wise enough to be able to pick sense from nonsense. Now it’s obvious we won’t have time today to delve into the workings of our Bit, which I wanted to introduce way back when Jesus spoke about His people going out and bearing fruit, because they dovetail so nicely together. ‘Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.’ So Friends, with all of that in mind, let’s go out today and see if we can’t bear some fruit that will further God’s kingdom and glorify His Most Holy Name. It’s what we were created for. Much LOVE!…if we’re good soil…in which the seed of Jesus has taken root…then it’s time for us to grow…and bear good fruit…thirty…sixty…even a hundred fold…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 3 March 2013 Job 16:1-2
03 Mar 2013 Leave a comment
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: afflictions, anger, bodies and souls, christianity, comfort, comforters, compassion, condemnation, consolation, dictates, dire need, direction, dust, empathy, gentleness, God's guidance, grief, guidelines, hearts minds, judgement, lambastes, LOVE, LOVING_kindness, positive effect, provoke, rebuke, relieve, reproach, resentment, seek God early, spirituality, straight and narrow path, strife, sufferation, tribulation
Job 16:1-2. Then Job answered and said, I have heard many such things: miserable comforters are ye all.
Oh Friends, another today is here! The question is how will we use it? Will we use it wisely, or unwisely? For all our sakes, I certainly hope we use it wisely, otherwise we’d be placing our selves, both our earthly and eternal lives, in serious jeopardy. And what does using today wisely mean, or entail eh? It simply means giving our hearts, minds, bodies and souls to God! Turning to Him for guidance and direction, each and every day of our lives, while attempting to walk the straight and narrow path that comply with His guidelines and dictates. So basically, using the day wisely, means allowing God to direct our footsteps. And the best way to do that is by seeking Him early in the morning, as soon as we get up, possibly before we even open our eyes, just be conscious that we’re awake. That gives the evil fool Lucifer less time to gang up on us and cause us to deviate from the straight and narrow before we’ve even begun the day. As the ole people would say, ‘take in front, before in front takes you.’ And you know it’s always best to read the directions on a package before using its contents, as well as know where you’re going before setting out on your journey. The same applies to starting our day. So Friends, let’s try and make it a habit of starting our day with God, as soon as possible after arising nuh. I guarantee that our days will turn out much better that way. Now turning to our Bit: ‘Then Job answered and said, I have heard many such things: miserable (troublesome) comforters are ye all.’ Oh my brethren, what a story is Job’s later life! He’s living as righteous and faithful as he can, then all of a sudden, for no apparent reason, he loses everything; his family, his health and his wealth. Unknown to Job, the Lord’s using him as a righteous example to Lucifer. And Job stays the course fairly well, obviously unhappy and confused, but not blaming or cursing God. But then, some days later, three of his buddies, Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar, who heard of his ‘sufferation’, show up together ‘to mourn with him and to comfort him.’ (Job 2:11) From what the Good Book says, Job must have been a real mess, because when his friends first saw him, they didn’t recognize him; ‘they lifted up their voice, and wept; and they rent every one his mantle (each tore off his robe), and sprinkled dust on their heads toward heaven. So they sat down with him upon the ground seven days and seven nights, and none spake a word unto him: for they saw that his grief was very great.’ (Job 2:12-13) Now that was real brotherly of them, and maybe they should just have kept their silence throughout their stay, because after that each one of them lambastes Job about why such a terrible disaster had befallen him. They all figure he’s committed some horrible sin, for which God has punished him. But Job knows that there’s no such horrible sin in his life. No wonder he’s astounded at the way his supposed friends lash out at him. Early on, he reproaches them by saying. ‘To him that is afflicted (despairing) pity (kindness) should be showed from his friend; but he forsaketh the fear of the Almighty. My brethren have dealt deceitfully as a brook, and as the stream of brooks they pass away.’ (Job 6:14-15) Not only did Job’s friends berate him unfairly, his close relations had also forsaken him in his time of dire need. But that’s how it usually goes, although it’s not supposed to. Those who are suffering should be shown compassion and empathy, not dragged roughly across the coals, even though they may done something to bring the disaster on themselves. All that does is add to their afflictions and their sorrows. Then after our Bit, before complaining about God’s dealings with him, Job again rebukes his friends. ‘Shall vain (empty) words have an end? Or what emboldeneth (provokes) thee that thou answerest? I also could speak as ye do: if your soul were in my soul’s stead. I could heap up words against you, and shake mine head at you. But I would strengthen you with my mouth, and the moving of (comfort from) my lips should assuage (relieve) your grief.’ (Job 16:3-5) Now that’s the way it should be my brethren! Whatever we do, or say, should have a positive effect on those who are sorrowful, not increase their sorrow, as Job’s friends did to him with their harsh, unfeeling words. That’s like the unfair snap judgements many of us make in this unfair and judgemental world. We’re quick to jump down the throats of others and criticize them from mere outward appearances, without having any knowledge of the true situation. Remember Jesus said; ‘Judge (condemn) not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgement (condemnation) ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete (use), it shall be measured to you again.’ (Matt.7:1-2) That means we should not be condemning others, judging their inner motives, especially on prejudiced information, neither use ourselves as a standard for the judgement, because it’s by that same standard we’ll be judged. Obviously Job’s friends didn’t follow those rules. Anyway my fellow believers, I believe we’ve got the general picture here, and since time and space are running out on us, let’s end with some wise words of Bruh Paul to the Corinthians, on the topic of comfort that we all know, or should know, but don’t practice sufficiently. ‘Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble (tribulation), by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.’ (2 Cor.1:3-4) Bruh Paul is talking about his afflictions, and how God comforts him, so that he can comfort others. Now that’s how it also ought to be with us, my people! So as of today, let’s try to show a truer Christian side to our criticism and judgement nuh. Don’t condemn, and if we need to correct, let’s do it with gentleness and kindness, in LOVE, as Jesus does, and would have us do. Much LOVE!…the beauty of correcting or comforting with LOVING-KINDNESS…is that it greatly reduces the possibility of anger, strife and resentment…and greatly increases the chances of true comfort and consolation…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 28 February 2013 Ephesians 4:3
28 Feb 2013 Leave a comment
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: accept Christ as Saviour, action oriented, Bible Study, change, Christ's Church, conundrum, demoralization, destruction, dissensions, divisions, don't put off for tomorrow, faithfulness, February, growing in faith, growing in LOVE, homeless, humility, in deeper fellowship with Jesus, long-suffering, meekness, New Year's resolution, ONE Lord, passion, patience, peace, ponder our spiritual lives, poverty, power, prosperity, sick, spirituality, strength, suffering, unity, walking closer with Jesus, walking in LOVE
Ephesians 4:3. Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
Oh Friends, today is the last day of February! Can you believe it? I also hope it’s the last day of the lousy snowstorm that messed up everything yesterday. I did get out to the Bible Study last night, though the place is still covered with the dirty white stuff, now that man has been through it. And astonishingly my people, two months of 2013 have already flown by. It’s like time is spinning away ever faster and faster, like the world in which we now live. That’s why it’s so important to be very aware of what’s happening in our lives. We can’t afford to put off for tomorrow, things that we can do today, because we don’t know what tomorrow will bring, even if there’ll be a tomorrow. Consequently, we also decided to check at the end of every month, rather than at some longer time period, on that most important New Year’s Resolution we made, about walking closer, in deeper fellowship with Christ, growing in LOVE and appreciation, while carrying out His dictates and wishes in a fuller and more complete manner. So today, please, let’s all take a few moments to ponder if we’re truly keeping that resolution, if our spiritual lives are being enriched with God’s Word, if our faith is growing, and if we’re putting that faith into action so that others can see and experience it and be caused to accept Christ as their Lord and Saviour too. And if we discover that we’re not doing as well as we should, then let’s ask the Lord, who hears and answers all sincere prayers, to help us do better, since we can’t improve without His awesome help. Now let me share a li’l something I wrote recently, but lost sight of until just now. I guess now is its appointed time. (smile) It’s simply titled ‘UNITY’ and says: ‘Unity is…brings strength. Unity is…brings power. Unity is…brings prosperity. Unity is…brings peace. But above all…Unity is simply walking in LOVE! Walking in LOVE…like Jesus did. Unity is just being decent to each other.’ Yes Friends, without Unity, we’ll NEVER have peace, prosperity, power, strength or LOVE! That’s why our world, and in particular Christ’s church is so divided. We all want the good things in life, but either don’t know, or stubbornly refuse to recognize the fact that we can’t get them, in a lasting manner, unless and until we’re unified under the umbrella of Christ and His church. That brings us to our Bit, where Bruh Paul is speaking to the Ephesians re the Unity of the Spirit. ‘Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.’ Ah Friends, it’s one of those conundrums, where without unity, you can’t have peace, and without peace, you can’t have unity. Like we argue about which came first, the chicken or the egg? But to get one, you must have the other. Now hear what Bruh Paul has to say before our Bit. ‘I therefore, the prisoner of (in) the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation (calling) wherewith ye are called. With all lowliness and meekness (gentleness), with long-suffering, forbearing (bearing with) one another in LOVE.’ (Eph.4:1-2) Oh my brethren, yuh see what it takes to bring about unity and peace. It’s all about humbling ourselves before our God, living in a manner befitting His commandments and doing what He’s called us to do to the best of our ability. As Bruh Paul continues after our Bit. ‘There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; One Lord, one faith, one baptism. One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.’ (Eph.4:4-6) And the scholars comment on that scripture thus: ‘This passage elaborates on the “unity of the Spirit” (v.3). This oneness among Christians refers to having (1) one body – the body of Christ, the Christian church; (2) one Spirit – the same Holy Spirit who imparts the same spiritual life to all believers; (3) one hope – all Christians share the same future certainty and are headed toward the same heavenly destination; (4) one Lord – all submit to the same divine ruler, Jesus; (5) one faith – all believers have placed the same trust in Christ for salvation; (6) one baptism – Holy Spirit baptism at the time of salvation (1 Cor.12:13); and (7) one God and Father – all believers in Christ have the same God and heavenly Father.’ So friends, our unity is all about ONE! Not me, I, or you, but about One body of Christ, of faith, etc, until we get to the real ONE, who brings and keeps it all together, our Heavenly Father. So my brethren, let’s all sincerely try and come together as ONE nuh, as Jesus so desperately desires. For without unity, all we have to look forward to is more of the same strife, anger, divisions, dissensions, selfishness and ungodliness as is so disastrously personified by the state of our current world. Oh fellow believers, I’m sure that none of us likes the way our world is being ground down, demoralized and destroyed by the powers of evil that control it. But as I also keep reminding us, it’s only us true believers in Jesus, who want to see a better world, that can make any changes to it, and bring about the unity we so desperately need. And to do that, we have to consciously and seriously get up off of our inflated fannies and do whatever it takes to bring about those changes. It won’t come by only mouthing and spouting plenty scripture, but also by being action oriented; actually helping others, like the sick, the poor, the homeless, the hungry, the lost, those whom Jesus had a passion for and came to save. We have to stop beating our chests in foolish pride, like the hypocrite Pharisees and them, as though we’re doing such a great job in our faith, because we aren’t. If we were, there’d never be so much pain, poverty, misery and heartache in our world. So Friends, let’s stop all the talk and concentrate more on action nuh, because all the talk in the world won’t fill any empty bellies, clothe any naked bodies, put rooves over the heads of the homeless, cure the sick or find the lost. The only thing that will do those things is physical action, where as a supposed unified body, we have been tried, and found sadly lacking. Much LOVE!…the Word of God…is always more readily accepted…when it follows the faithful, physical actions of God’s people…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 27 February 2013 Psalm 21:6
27 Feb 2013 Leave a comment
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: absolute hope, actions, Bible Study, blessed, Christian beliefs, christianity, confidence, darkest hour, deceitful, earthly pilgrimage, evildoers, exceedingly glad, faith, footstools, God's Word, hearts, heavy load, joy, maturity, mercy, minds, pain, powers of darkness, praise, psalm 21, religion, roadblocks, saviour jesus christ, sliding, slipping, souls, spirituality, surrender, thankfulness, treacherous, true believers, true wisdom, trust, unfortunate experience, uptempo dance, victory, virgin snow, weather forecasters
Psalm 21:6. For thou hast made him most blessed for ever: thou hast made him exceeding glad with thy countenance.
Today’s Scrip-Bit 24 February 2013 Psalm 5:9
24 Feb 2013 Leave a comment
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: bitterness, choke hold, christianity, cursing, destruction, faithfulness, fallen creation, forgiveness, generosity, God's faithfulness, heartaches, heavenly hosts, human condition, justice, loving, mercy, misery, mornng by morning, Most High God, new mercies, pain, praise and thanksgiving, religion, sadness, saviour jesus christ, sincerity, spirituality, tears, testimony, trust, truth, worship
Psalm 5:9. For there is no faithfulness in their mouth; their inward part is very wickedness; their throat is an open sepulchre; they flatter with their tongue.
And yet another glorious day in the life begins my Friends, so let’s start it with some thanks and praise nuh. Let’s sing a verse of the old hymn that could probably be called ‘Old Faithful’ because it’s been around for a long time and whenever we sing it, it also regenerates our faith in the faithfulness and trustworthiness of our Wonderful God. Sing with me: ‘Great is thy faithfulness, Lord unto me. Morning by morning new mercies I see. All that I needed, thy hand hath provided. Great is thy faithfulness, Lord unto me.’ And isn’t that the awesome truth my fellow believers! We can all attest to the faithfulness of God in our lives; in the past, the present, and if we continue clinging to Him, also in the future. He’s just that kind of LOVING, trusting, generous and merciful God to all those who serve and worship Him in truth and sincerity. And all God’s people loudly and joyously declared: ‘All praise and thanksgiving be unto the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, who made the earth, heavens, and all therein, and who controls it with LOVE, mercy, justice and forgiveness! Oh Lord, we your humble servants truly LOVE You, and this Sunday morning we bless and praise Your Most Holy Name! Amen.’ Oh Friends, did you see the big smiles on the faces of our heavenly Father and our Saviour, Jesus Christ as those heartfelt prayers reached up to heaven? Even the heavenly hosts were smiling and adding their own ‘Praise the Lord! For He is good and merciful and forgiving!’ Ah mih bredden, if there could only be such smiles and happiness down here on earth, instead of the many frowns, heartaches, sadness, tears and pain that currently envelop our world, that have us in an ever tightening choke hold. But I guess that’s the price we have to pay for being a fallen creation. And sadly, we’re not helping the situation by consciously steering our lives to the sinful side of our nature, instead of the righteous and godly side. We all have that pocket in our souls permanently reserved for our Maker, which nothing or no one else can fill, but unless we consciously venture to fill it with Him, our lives will end up a total mess. And if you don’t believe me, just take a look around at our society with so many people hurting and searching for relief from their many sorrows. Unfortunately though, they are searching in the wrong places, heading in the wrong direction. They’re turning to manmade aids; drugs, booze, shrinks etc, which are not helping, but making them worse, increasing their pain and sorrows. Ah Friends, there’s only one antidote for the human state, one prescription to ease his pain and suffering: that’s Almighty God, his Maker and Controller! And until we realize that and turn back to Him in droves, just like we’ve turned away in droves, the human state will remain one of exceedingly vile, evil, ungodly conditions. Tragic loss, pain and ‘sufferation’ will continue to be his unenviable lot. That brings us to our very appropriate Bit: ‘For there is no faithfulness (uprightness) in their mouth; their inward part is very wickedness (destruction); their throat is an open sepulchre (tomb); they flatter with their tongue.’ And isn’t that the undeniable truth about the state of our society my fellow believers? It sure is! Now let me share a testimony of our Lord’s delightful faithfulness. When I began writing today, I had no clue what I was going to write about. I had not even opened the Good Book to look for a Bit. I just had the verse of the ‘Old Faithful’ Hymn written on a piece of paper, and contrary to my usual method of writing, where I do a rough copy on paper first, I just began writing on the computer and the words and ideas just flowed, so I continued, until I got to the unenviable lot of humans. Then I began chuckling, asked the Lord to guide me to an appropriate Bit, and opened my Bible. And, lo and behold, according to His great faithfulness, I found one in less than five minutes. Just goes to show Friends, that if we genuinely seek our God, we’ll find Him, and He will answer our prayers, especially where it pertains to His Word. Now let’s turn to some thought provoking scripture to corroborate our contentions. This comes from Bruh Paul’s writing to the Romans. ‘There is none righteous, No, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. Their throat is an open sepulchre (grave); with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: Their feet are swift to shed blood: Destruction and misery are in their ways: And the way of peace have they not known: There is no fear of God before their eyes.’ (Rom.3″10-18) Oh Friends, doesn’t that describe our world to a T? It certainly does. Bruh Paul uses his vast knowledge of the scriptures, using various bits and pieces to highlight our insufficiency and sad, degenerate state. Listen to the scholars comment on that passage. ‘Paul quotes scripture to prove universal guilt. Scripture, not Paul, is the judge. See Psalm 5:9; 10:7; 14:1-3; 140:3; Isaiah 59:7-8’ Those are some of the scriptures Bruh Paul uses in that very revealing section of Romans. And rather appropriately, just as we began, we’ll end with a glowing testimony from Isaiah on the Lord’s faithfulness. ‘O Lord, thou art my God; I will exalt thee, I will praise thy name; for thou hast done wonderful things; thy counsels of old are faithfulness and truth.’ (Is.25:1) And that’s the gospel truth my brethren! So let’s go out now and do as that great prophet just said; praise and exalt the name of the Most High God Jehovah, for it is right and meet so to do. Much LOVE!…only in the faithfulness of our heavenly Father…can man put absolute trust…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 23 February 2013 Job 8:13
23 Feb 2013 Leave a comment
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: abuse, cancer, cancer fundraisers, carcinogens, climate change, fools, forget God, human bodies, human-rights, hypocrite's hopelessness, hypocrites shall perish, iniquity, pollution, religion, righteous, sinful state, snowstorms, spirituality, traffic congestion, ungodliness, unusual weather patterns, warnings, weather patterns, wicked, wisdom
Job 8:13. So are the paths of all that forget God; and the hypocrite’s hope shall perish.
Oh Friends, it’s another day in the life! However, for many down in the U. S. it’s going to be an extremely rough one, where they continue to dig out from another round of severe snowstorms, this one predominantly hitting the Central part of the country. I guess we can call this the year of the snow, for places that haven’t had snow in ages have experienced it this year. Even in parts of Southern California some snow fell, causing unaccustomed traffic congestion and the other niceties that snow brings, especially when you’re not accustomed to it. (smile) They were even pelting snowballs in Arizona instead of playing golf, because the courses were white and not green. Some places that have not fully recovered from previous snowfalls have again been inundated by the white stuff. But why are we seeing so much of it in such short periods eh? I’d like to put forward two theories. The first is climate change. We have screwed up the delicate balance of the planet with so much pollutants that it’s now coming back to haunt us in unstable, unusual weather patterns. Cut it whichever way you want, we can’t continue to put so much polluting stuff in our air, water and land and don’t expect some unusual reaction. And anyone who believes that, or eschews that position is a fool! Look at amount of known carcinogens we now have in our food, either to make it look pretty or stay fresh and last longer. Don’t you think that affects the delicate balance of our bodies too? I get angry when I hear about these cancer fundraisers and curing cancer. How can you cure something when you keep putting it in your food, water, land and atmosphere eh? But that’s a story for another day. But getting back to climate change. When last have we seen so much snow in North America eh? For the last five to ten years we’ve hardly had any, in comparison to what we used to have before. So much so that recently the ski resorts had to resort to snow making machines for longer periods than ever before. Now it seems as if it has turned around again, and they’re getting mucho snow. Oh Friends, our planet can stand a lot of pain, but like our human bodies it’s finely timed and tuned and continued abuse will eventually make it sick, just like it does to our human bodies. Our God didn’t make it to stand the kind of abuse we’re putting it through. That brings me to our second theory; that the unusual climate patterns and natural disasters we’re having in unusual places is partly the work of our God, in retribution for our very sinful state of ungodliness and disobedience to His Word. That dovetails very nicely with our Bit: ‘So are the paths of all that forget God; and the hypocrite’s hope shall perish.’ We’ve seen over the centuries that societies that have gotten too big for their ‘britches’ and become sinful and ungodly, have eventually been cut down to size one way or another. The sad part is that most of the times there have been warnings, but the proud, evildoers have not paid them any attention. And I believe that what’s happening right now is God’s way of warning us. But are we paying attention? Certainly not! But there’s no doubt that we’re a very evil, sinful society, which has successfully turfed the Lord from its schools and public places, a society where the evildoers have the upper hand and revel in their wicked works without a thought for the consequences. And believe me Friends, there will be serious consequences for the immoral, ungodly morass into which our society has plummeted. Now let’s look at a few scriptures that foretell retribution for proud, continual disobedience. Job says it in spades when he talks of the hypocrite’s hopelessness. ‘For what is the hope of the hypocrite, though he hath gained, when God taketh away his soul? Will God hear his cry when trouble cometh upon him? Will he delight himself in the Almighty? Will he always call upon God?’ (Job 27:8-10) I’m afraid the answer to all those questions my brethren is a resounding ‘NO!’ And if we turn to Psalm 112; Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord, we’ll find graphic descriptions of both the righteous and wicked in the last two verses. In talking about the righteous, the psalmist boldly declares: ‘He hath dispersed (distributed abroad), he hath given to the poor; his righteousness endureth for ever; his horn (strength) shall be exalted with honour. The wicked shall see it, and be grieved; he shall gnash with this teeth, and melt away: the desire of the wicked shall perish.’ (Ps.112:9-10) Oh my fellow believers, please note carefully the great difference between the eventual outcomes of both sets of people. And we’ll go home with some extremely wise words of Cousin Sol, as he contrasts the doings of the wise and the foolish. ‘The fear of the Lord prolongeth days: but the years of the wicked shall be shortened. The hope of the righteous shall be gladness: but the expectation of the wicked shall perish. The way of the Lord is strength to the upright: but destruction shall be to the workers of iniquity. The righteous shall never be removed: but the wicked shall not inhabit the earth (land). The mouth of the just bringeth forth wisdom: but the froward (perverse, deceitful) tongue shall be cut out. The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable: but the mouth of the wicked speaketh frowardness (perversity, deceitfulness).’ (Prov.10:27-32) Oh Friends, please remember that the laws and words of our God don’t change, that means if they were true in Cousin’ Sol’s time, then they’re still true today. So please let’s allow wisdom to be our guide. Let’s start cleaning up the pollutants from our unfortunate planet, our evil societies and our individual lives, beginning today, RIGHT NOW! Because if we don’t, we’ll only force the Lord to do it for us, and I can guarantee we won’t like His methods. Much LOVE!…where wisdom prevails…societies prosper…but where evil fools rule the roost…the societies perish…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 22 February 2013 Job 8:13
22 Feb 2013 Leave a comment
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: affirms God's justice, all who forget God, bide time, Bildad, blessings, body, caught in their own net, christianity, communion with god, earthly pilgrimage, endurance, fasting, fellowship, fool's folly, forgiveness, fun, glorious kingdom, grace, heathen, hypocrite's hope, hypocrites, Job, LOVE, mercy, mind, mire, patience, perish, praise and thanks, relaxation, remember God, rest, sorry lot, soul, spirituality, torn in pieces, traffic hassles, wisdom
Job 8:13. So are the paths of all that forget God; and the hypocrite’s hope shall perish.
Oh Friends, it’s Friday; the second Friday in Lent! But the joyous ‘TGIF’s’ and ‘Thank God is Friday,’ are not as plentiful or powerful as normal. I don’t know if that’s happening because it’s Lent, but as I recently said, though Lent should be a serious time of reflection, contemplation and communion with God, there’s no need to lose our joy, whatever season it is. And remember those joyous shouts on Fridays are for the ending of the week of labour, the traffic hassles and all the other worldly distractions. It also gives us more time to spend with God, which should make us even more joyous. So please let’s keep our joy going, don’t let Lucifer fool us into thinking that we have to be so pious and holy we can’t have mucho joy in our souls. Remember, it’s that joy we get from being in sync with God that gives us the strength to bear the burdens we all face on our earthly pilgrimage. And to help us with that, let’s chant our Friday Chant with plenty power and sweet harmony. As one now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through. Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’ That was awesome my people! Let’s do it for real now. Oh, by the way, the ole fella aced the fasting test yesterday! I got to the lab around ten thirty-five, but was it ever crowded. I knew though that I wasn’t leaving, because I had no desire to go through the fasting situation again. So I sat down and patiently bided my time, reading a novel. Jesus was surely proud of me, because I didn’t whine and complain. (smile) I didn’t leave there until eleven thirty, which meant I fasted for over 13 hours. Mama Mia! Hopefully that’s it for the year. Anyway, let’s turn to our Bit: ‘So are the paths of all that forget God; and the hypocrite’s hope shall perish.’ That my Friends, is the living truth, as declared by our living God! Before we get into it though, let’s get some background info. Those words come from Job’s buddy Bildad, as he affirms God’s justice. And just before our Bit, he’s talking about the demise of certain herbs. ‘Can the rush (papyrus) grow up without mire (marsh)? Can the flag (reeds) grow without water? Whilst it is yet in its greenness, and not cut down, it withereth before any other herb.’ (Job 8:11-12) Then he brings up our Bit, comparing those who forget God and lead hypocritical lives to the demise of those herbs. Bildad further declares after our Bit: ‘Whose hope shall be cut off, and whose trust shall be a spider’s web (house). He shall lean upon his house, but it shall not stand: he shall hold it fast, but it shall not endure.’ (Job 8:14-15) That’s oh so true my brethren! Those who forget God and play the hypocrite, their hopes shall eventually be dashed to the ground. Though they build their houses, intricate, pretty and supposedly strong like a spider builds its web, they will not endure. Like a house of cards, they will be easily blown down and destroyed. Now let’s look at some scripture that corroborates our Bit, starting with words of Bruh David, from Psalm 9; Praise for God’s justice. ‘The heathen (nations or gentiles) are sunk down in the pit that they made: in the net which they hid is their own foot taken (caught). The Lord is known by the judgement which he executeth: the wicked is snared in the work of his own hands. Higgaion (meditation or song) Selah. The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God. For the needy shall not always be forgotten: the expectation of the poor shall not perish for ever.’ (Ps.9:15-18) Yes Friends, that’s the sorry lot of all those who don’t revere and worship the ONE TRUE GOD, He of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob! And if you don’t believe Bruh David, then listen to that other great psalmist, Asaph, as he righteously proclaims in Psalm 50; God is the judge. ‘Now consider this, ye that forget God, lest I tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver. Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me: and to him that ordereth his conversation (conduct) aright will I show the salvation of God.’ (Ps.50:22-23) Oh my people, we certainly don’t want to be torn in pieces, do we? So let’s not foolishly forget Almighty God, the ONE who created the universe and all therein. Instead, let’s wisely offer Him praise and thanks, so that He may be glorified, and walk steadfastly in obedience to His Word, so that we’ll see His salvation. That is the wisdom of the righteous! More on this tomorrow, God in favour. Till then, let’s remember our God and spend worthy time with Him, so that He’ll continue to LOVE, bless, forgive, protect and show us His wonderful grace and mercy. Much LOVE!…a fool in his folly…says there is no God…but what happens then…as the wise man believes…that there is a God…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 14 February 2013 I Corinthians 13:1
14 Feb 2013 Leave a comment
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: 1 corinthians 13, Ash Wednesday, christianity, clanging cymbals, Corinth, fasting, joy, Lent, lenten introspection, LOVE is the greatest, LOVE Revolution, motives of our hearts, sounding brass, speaking in tongues, spiritual happiness, spirituality, the LOVE of God, the Way of LOVE, Valentine's day
1 Corinthians 13:1. Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not LOVE, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling (clanging) cymbal.
HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY
Oh Friends, what a juxtaposition! Yesterday was Ash Wednesday, the beginning of the Lenten Season, where Christians are expected to pray, meditate and fast, in an attempt at introspection and getting closer to God. Today though, it’s Valentine’s Day; a day of celebration of LOVE, all be it with an emphasis on the romantic kind. But I guess as B.J. Thomas says in his old song; ‘A little bit of LOVE, is better than NO LOVE at all.’ And believe me Friends, there’s nothing that our confused, misled, troubled and misguided world is crying out more for than REAL LOVE! It’s somewhat sad though that this day of LOVE, although not a Christian holy day, has been so badly commercialized, just like some of the Christian holy days; for example, Christmas and Easter. But I suppose in this world where commerce and money trumps everything else, that’s to be expected. And in a sense, it does help the economy, so let’s not lose our joy over it. For you know my people, joy, that spiritual happiness we acquire when Jesus comes into out lives, is supposed to be a constant in a believer’s every waking and sleeping moment. So although this season of Lent invites us to be more serious about God, contemplating all that Jesus suffered and sacrificed for us, it in no way ought to detract from our joy of being a believer, a child of God, blessed with salvation and eternal life. When Jesus was in the wilderness fasting, His demeanour was obviously subdued, but I’m sure He did not lose His joy in His heavenly Father’s LOVE. Most likely it’s that joy which kept Him going. And neither should we lose our joy Friends. Lent and Valentine’s day are not mutually exclusive, especially if we’re pouring out the true LOVE of God from our hearts to our LOVED ones. For as our Bit so rightly proclaims: ‘Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not LOVE, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling (clanging) cymbal.’ And that’s the gospel truth my brethren! If we don’t have true LOVE, regardless of all the other good things we might possess, we are just loud, useless mouthpieces. And here’s some info from the scholars on that verse. ‘Tongues of men and angels: Such was the association of tongues speaking in pagan worship at Corinth. When a priest or devotee spoke in tongues, it was considered that he spoke the language of the gods.’ Unfortunately today some of us still believe that. So please let’s not make the Lenten Season, a droll, sad, unhappy one. It should be serious but that doesn’t mean unhappy as so many of us tend to believe and behave. And please don’t fast just because the season calls for it, or because everybody’s doing it. The purpose of fasting is to help you empty your body and soul of worldly things, which helps make a better spiritual connection to God. But not all of us are good fasters. I for one am a poor faster. But then again we have to consider how long we’re going to fast for. There’s nothing that says it has to be all day or all night. So if you feel you should fast, just do whatever you’re comfortable with. Fast for as long as you can handle. The Lord will understand. And don’t get all religious and penitent and look miserable and let the whole world know that you’re fasting, like the ole hypocrites and them. But look bright and fresh and continue showing the joy of your spirit and excellence in your work, as Jesus did. And if you can’t fast, I guess you can give up something you cherish for Lent. But there again I find myself in a quandary, for the Lord has also cut me right back to the minimum of activities, so I don’t have anything to really give up. He’s gradually weaned me off horses, making music, and other kinds of writing, except the Bit. I guess then I’ll just have to pray and meditate more, and show more LOVE. (smile) Right now I’m supposed to be doing a 12-hour fast for some blood tests, which to me is a big problem, cause it makes my gas problem even worse than it is. And to add to my misery, the daylight lab hours don’t coincide with my night owl tendencies. Anyway, hopefully I’ll get around to it soon, and not do like I did before, postpone it for over six months. That’s one of the reasons why I never discovered my cancerous prostate sooner, for though I didn’t need to fast for that particular test, it was listed on the requisition to be done at the same time as those that needed fasting. But above all my people, please let’s remember that whatever we do, to do it unto God and not man, because He’s not so much interested in the outward manifestation of our conduct, but more in the secret motives hidden deep in our hearts. Anyway Friends, be it too commercialized or not, today is Valentine’s Day, so, even if we do nothing else, let’s go out and spread LOVE; the LOVE that God has for us, and the LOVE that we have for our friends, families and neighbours. There’s no doubting that LOVE makes the world go round. Wish we could have Valentine’s Day every day. (smile) And why not eh? As far as Jesus is concerned everyday is a LOVE day, therefore all our days should be ones of LOVE. Consequently, let’s work seriously towards that goal nuh people, since our world so badly needs a LOVE Revolution, and only we believers are in a position to get that revolt going. And the exercise for the day is to read the LOVE Chapter – The Way of LOVE – 1 Cor.13, from which our Bit is taken. Ponder all it says, then let’s try to bring our individual lives into concert with it over the Lenten season. What a fitting exercise my brethren, to purge ourselves of all our unloving ways and feelings. (smile) Much LOVE!…and now abideth faith, hope, LOVE…these three…but the greatest of these is LOVE… (1 Cor.13:13)
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